John Dryden: Sell Your Soul

John Dryden Money Quote saying misers would do anything, go anywhere for money and will leave it all to heirs. John Dryden said:
 

 

“Go miser go, for money sell your soul. Trade wares for wares and trudge from pole to pole, So others may say when you are dead and gone. See what a vast estate he left his son” — John Dryden

In this quote, John Dryden seems to be critiquing the miserly behavior and priorities of those who are excessively focused on amassing wealth at the expense of enjoying life and relationships.

Specifically, Dryden portrays the miser as willing to “sell your soul” or compromise their integrity and humanity in the relentless pursuit of accumulating more money. They are constantly trading and bartering “wares for wares” in business without rest, traveling tirelessly “from pole to pole” in the quest for riches.

However, Dryden notes that after such a miser has died, people will merely remark on the large estate and fortune they left behind for their heir rather than anything meaningful they accomplished. Their legacy amounts to the wealth amassed, not lives impacted.

The best interpretation is that Dryden believed the miser’s lifestyle of constant work and penny-pinching just to gather riches was ultimately empty and pointless. After death, they will only be remembered for their accumulated money rather than experiences or relationships, having prioritized financial prosperity over life’s deeper fulfillments according to Dryden’s perspective.

Birthday: August 19, 1631 – Death: May 12, 1700

Tim Cook: Sell Cheap Product

Tim Cook Money Quote saying that the price of a product can be cheap and the product reflects that cost in quality. Tim Cook said:
 

 

“Price is rarely the most important thing. A cheap product might sell some units. Somebody gets it home and they feel great when they pay the money, but then they get it home and use it and the joy is gone” — Tim Cook

In this quote, Tim Cook is discussing the importance of quality over price when it comes to products. He argues that while a cheap product may sell well due to its low price point, once customers get the product home and use it, they will lose the initial joy they felt from the purchase if the quality is lacking.

Cook is suggesting that price should not be the primary factor driving a purchasing decision, because a low-cost item may seem like a good deal in the moment but fail to deliver lasting satisfaction if the quality and user experience are poor. His point is that long-term customer happiness depends more on how well a product performs its functions and how enjoyable it is to use, rather than just the initial price paid.

So in essence, the quote advocates that companies should focus on making high-quality products, even if they cost more, because customers will derive greater lasting value and joy from items that work well rather than cheaply made goods that seem like a bargain up front but disappoint after the sale. For Cook, price is secondary to ensuring a good user experience.

Stevie Ray Vaughn: Beg & Stealing

Stevie Ray Vaughn Money Quote saying in lyrics from his song ‘Crossfire’ that money is tight and we’re all scrambling for our share. Stevie Ray Vaughn said:
 

 

“Hurry here, hustlin’ there No one’s got the time to spare Money’s tight, nothin’ free Tooth for tooth, eye for an eye Sell your soul just to buy, buy, buy Beggin’ a dollar stealin’ a dime” — Stevie Ray Vaughn

In these lyrics, Stevie Ray Vaughn seems to be portraying a fast-paced, hustling way of life where financial struggles are constant and people feel they must resort to desperate measures to get by. Specifically:

• The lines “Hurry here, hustlin’ there” and “No one’s got the time to spare” convey a sense of frantic activity and time pressure as people scramble between jobs or schemes to earn money.
• “Money’s tight, nothin’ free” reinforces the scarcity of funds and lack of flexibility this brings.
• “Tooth for tooth, eye for an eye” and “Sell your soul just to buy, buy, buy” imply a dog-eat-dog mentality emerges from the financial stresses, and people feel compelled to compromise their principles for material gain.
• The final lines depict situations of both petty theft (“stealin’ a dime”) and demeaning begging (“Beggin’ a dollar”) resulting from the pressures of limited funds and opportunities according to Vaughn’s portrayal of a grinding lifestyle where scarcity of money governs one’s circumstances and choices.

Birthday: October 3, 1954 – Death: August 27, 1990

Mokokoma Mokhonoana: Sell Souls

Mokokoma Mokhonoana Money Quote saying those who deride prostitution at the same time admire bigger moral failings for money. Mokokoma Mokhonoana said:
 

 

“Most of those who look down on people who sell their bodies look up to some of those who sell their souls” — Mokokoma Mokhonoana

This quote suggests that society often judges and looks down upon sex workers who sell their bodies and sexuality for money, yet accords respect and admiration to some businesspeople and corporate leaders who compromise their ethics and values in pursuit of profit.

Mokokoma Mokhonoana seems to be pointing out a double standard, where people who engage in survival sex work are stigmatized while those who engage in morally questionable professional practices that prioritize financial gain over principles are celebrated or respected.

The quote implies that society should be more consistent in how it views those who sell different private aspects – their body or their soul – for monetary compensation.

Ayn Rand: Money Buy the Best

Ayn Rand Money Quote saying Sell your talent and use the proceeds to buy the best. Ayn Rand said:
 

 

“Money demands that you sell, not your weakness to men’s stupidity, but your talent to their reason; it demands that you buy, not the shoddiest they offer, but the best that your money can find” — Ayn Rand

In this quote, Ayn Rand is contrasting two different ways that people can interact regarding money and goods or services. She says money should not be used to sell one’s “weakness” or inferior qualities to others by appealing to their irrationality or foolishness. Rather, it should be used to sell one’s genuine talents, skills and value to others by appealing to their reason and rational self-interest.

Similarly, when spending money one should not purchase shoddy or low quality goods simply because they are cheap, but rather use money to acquire the best goods and services available according to one’s means. So Rand viewed money as something that should be used to trade genuine value for value between individuals, not as a way to exploit others or settle for less than what one deserves in exchanges.

Birthday: February 2, 1905 – Death: March 6, 1982

Samuel Butler: Buy & Sell Wealth

Samuel Butler Money Quote saying money skills apply to efforts from start to finish make us win or lose. Samuel Butler said:
 

 

“For Wealth are all things that conduce, to one’s destruction or their use. A standard both to buy and sell, all things from heaven down to hell” — Samuel Butler

In this quote, Samuel Butler seems to be commenting on wealth and its dual nature. By stating that “all things that conduce, to one’s destruction or their use” can be obtained through wealth, Butler suggests money provides access to both helpful resources as well as potentially damaging indulgences.

He also portrays wealth as “a standard both to buy and sell” all manner of goods and services, whether beneficial or not.

Overall, the quote conveys Butler’s view that wealth is a tool that can be applied constructively or destructively depending on how one chooses to utilize the opportunities and access it provides, for better or worse, across a wide spectrum of options “from heaven down to hell.”

Birthday: December 4, 1835 – Death: June 18, 1902

Thomas Edison: Sale Utility

Thomas Edison Money Quote saying there’s no point to inventing things that nobody buys or wants. Sales prove utility. Thomas Edison said:
 

 

“Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success” — Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is emphasizing the importance of commercial viability and market demand for any invention. He’s saying he did not want to devote time and resources to inventing something that would not ultimately sell well. In Edison’s view, an invention achieving meaningful sales and adoption by consumers was the truest proof that it was actually a useful and successful innovation that met real-world needs.

His philosophy, as conveyed in this quote, was that utility or usefulness in practical application by the public was the primary measure of an invention’s success – not simply its technical achievement or novelty alone. Edison cared most about inventing things with real commercial potential that customers wanted and were willing to purchase.

Birthday: February 11, 1847 – Death: October 18, 1931

Karl Marx: Business Opportunity

Karl Marx Money Quote saying sometimes it’s better to make money from those in need than to help them solve their problem. Karl Marx said:
 

 

“Catch a man a fish, and you can sell it to him. Teach a man to fish, and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity” — Karl Marx

In this quote, Karl Marx is satirizing capitalism and making a point about empowering people versus exploiting them for profit. By saying “Teach a man to fish, and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity”, Marx suggests that under capitalism, there is an incentive to keep people dependent in order to continue selling to them or providing services for a fee.

However, teaching someone a skill like fishing enables them to meet their own needs independently without needing to purchase goods or services. So the “business opportunity” that is “ruined” is the ability to profit off others’ lack of skills or self-sufficiency over the long run.

Overall, the quote uses sarcasm to criticize how capitalism may discourage empowering people when ongoing dependence is more profitable for businesses.

Birthday: May 5, 1818 – Death: March 14, 1883